Zimbabwe to Manufacture Own Car Model, Wants to Export to Other African Countries

Zimbabwe will soon design and manufacture its own car model which it envisages to export to other African countries and has since engaged an Italian firm to spearhead the project.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Harare yesterday between the Government and the Italian firm El Badaoui Group on the cooperation to come up with the car model.

El Badaoui Group president Mr Georges El Badaoui, who is also the Zimbabwean Honorary Consulate General in Milan, has since visited Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries to assess the infrastructure in place.

Minister Mike Bimha (right) signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the president of El Badaoui Group. photo: herald

The design and manufacture of the car model is in line with the Government’s stance of value addition and beneficiation, which is expected to turn the country into a regional giant of exporting finished products.

President Mugabe has been at the forefront of calling for value addition and beneficiation, especially of minerals, and has since sold the idea to the African continent as the chairperson of the African Union.

During his tenure as Sadc chairperson between August 2014 and August this year, the President turned the region’s focus on value addition and beneficiation, which became part of the theme of the regional body’s last two summits.

Addressing a Press conference after the signing of the MoU, Industry and Commerce Minister Mike Bimha said his ministry was submitting the MoU through the relevant processes.

“One of the areas of co-operation with Mr El Badaoui’s company is the establishment of an entity to spearhead the design and manufacture of a Zimbabwean-made car with potential for export throughout Africa,” he said.

“Mr El Badaoui visited Willowvale Mazda Motor Industries to assess the infrastructure currently in place. We are still working on the logistics of where the plant will be located and which institutions will be involved. Our thrust was to first come up with a framework, a process we have already done.

“This will get the ball rolling. We are looking at which institutions will be involved in creating this prototype. It is expected that the implementation of the MoU will assist in the rejuvenation of the manufacturing sector as well as expand the range of exported products to the region and beyond.”